Romania Parliament Votes in Favor of Man/Woman Marriage Only

BUCHAREST, Romania—Romanian Senators approved a measure that would pave the way for the constitution to be changed to explicitly state that marriage is a union of a man and a woman on Sept. 13.

Senators voted 107-13 with seven abstentions to allow a referendum that could change the constitution, which currently states that marriage is a union between “spouses.” The vote comes after Parliament’s Chamber of Deputies last year overwhelmingly approved the same measure.

The vote comes after 3 million Romanians signed a petition demanding that the constitution be changed to redefine marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

Social Democrat chairman Liviu Dragnea has indicated Romania will hold a referendum on the issue in October.

A senator for the ruling Social Democratic Party, Serban Nicolae, said the vote was on religious grounds: “we’ve been a Christian nation for 2,000 years.”

Accept, a Romanian group that fights for equality for same-sex couples, condemned the vote, accusing the Senate of “raising homophobia to state value and sacrificing constitutional protection for many families.”